Leica M Typ 262 versus Leica M10

The Leica M (Typ 262) and the Leica M10 (Typ 3656) are two enthusiast cameras that were announced, respectively,
in November 2015 and January 2017. Both the M Typ 262 and the M10 Typ 3656 are rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras that are equipped with a full frame sensor. The M Typ 262 has a resolution of 23.7 megapixel, whereas the M10 Typ 3656 provides 23.8 MP.

Body comparison

An illustration of the physical size and weight of the Leica M Typ 262 and the Leica M10 is provided in the side-by-side display below. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter. You can also use the toggle button to switch to a percentage comparison if you prefer that the measures are being expressed in relative terms (in this case, the camera on the left side – the M Typ 262 – represents the basis for the calculations across all the size and weight measures).

Body view (M Typ 262 on the left)

In this particular case, the Leica M Typ 262 and the Leica M10 have exactly the same width and height,
and, thus, have identically-sized bodies. However, the M10 Typ 3656 is slightly lighter (3 percent) than the M Typ 262. It is worth mentioning in this context that the M Typ 262 is splash and dust resistant,
while the M10 Typ 3656 does not feature any corresponding weather-sealing.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses
that both of these cameras require. In this particular case, both cameras feature the same lens mount, so that they can use the same lenses.
You can find an overview of suitable optics in the Leica M Lens Catalog.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the two cameras alongside
a broader set of comparators. If you want to switch the focus of the display and review another
camera pair, just select a new right or left comparator from among the camera models in the table.
Alternatively, you can also move across to the CAM-parator tool and
choose from the broad selection of possible comparisons there.

The listed prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The M Typ 262 was launched at a somewhat lower price (by 21 percent) than the M10 Typ 3656, which makes it more attractive for photographers on a tight budget.
Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available.
Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting
and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be
found on the pre-owned market.

Sensor comparison

The size of the imaging sensor is a crucial determinant of image quality. A large sensor will generally have larger individual pixels that offer better low-light sensitivity, provide wider dynamic range, and have richer color depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Furthermore, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more possibilities to use shallow depth-of-field in order to isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be associated with larger, more expensive camera bodies and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature a full frame sensor and have a format factor
(sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 1.0. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the review cameras among the large-sensor cameras
that aim for top notch image quality. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

Sensor size

While the two cameras under review share the same sensor size, the M10 Typ 3656 offers a slightly higher
resolution of 23.8 megapixel, compared with 23.7 MP of the M Typ 262.
This megapixel advantage translates into a 0 percent gain in linear resolution.
On the other hand, these sensor specs imply that the M10 Typ 3656 has a higher pixel density and a smaller size of the individual pixel
(with a pixel pitch of 6.00μm versus 6.01μm for the M Typ 262). However, it should be noted that the M10 Typ 3656 is a somewhat more recent model (by 1 year and 2 months) than the M Typ 262, and its sensor
might have benefitted from technological advances during this time that at least partly compensate for the smaller pixel size. Coming back to sensor resolution, it should be mentioned that neither of the two cameras has an anti-alias filter installed, so they are able to capture all the detail the sensor resolves.

Sensor resolution

Consistent information on actual sensor performance is available from DXO Mark for most cameras. This service determines an overall sensor rating, as well as sub-scores for low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and color depth ("DXO Portrait"). The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of comparator-cameras.

The M10 Typ 3656 offers Live View, so that it can project the live image that the sensor receives onto the rear screen for framing.
The M Typ 262 lacks this capability. Both cameras are still-image focused and cannot record videos.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The M Typ 262 and the M10 Typ 3656 are similar in the sense that both have an optical viewfinder.
The latter is useful for getting a clear image for framing even in brightly lit environments. The adjacent table lists some of the other core features of the Leica M Typ 262 and Leica M10 along with similar information for a selection of comparators. If needed, the dpreview camera hub, for example, contains further detail on the cameras' specs.

The M10 Typ 3656 is a current model that online retailers, such as amazon, will have in stock.
In contrast, the M Typ 262 has been discontinued (but it can be found pre-owned on ebay). As a replacement in the same line of cameras, the M Typ 262 was succeeded by the Leica M10.

Summary

So what conclusions can be drawn? Is the Leica M Typ 262 better than the Leica M10 or vice versa? The listing below highlights the relative strengths of the two models.

Advantages of the Leica M (Typ 262):

Better sealing: Is weather sealed to enable shooting in dusty or wet environments.

More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced segment (21 percent cheaper at launch).

More heavily discounted: Has been on the market for longer (launched in November 2015).

Arguments in favor of the Leica M10 (Typ 3656):

More modern: Was introduced somewhat (1 year and 2 months) more recently.

If the number of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the match-up finishes in a tie (3 points each). However, the relevance of individual strengths will vary across photographers, so that you might want to apply your own weighing scheme to the summary points.

M Typ 262 03:03 M10 Typ 3656

In any case, while the comparison of technical specifications can provide a useful overview of the capabilities of different cameras, it remains incomplete and does no justice, for example, to the way the M Typ 262 or the M10 Typ 3656 handle or perform in practice. User reviews that are available, for instance, at amazon can sometimes shed light on these issues, but such feedback is all too often partial, inconsistent, and inaccurate. This is why hands-on reviews by experts are important. The following table reports the overall rankings of the cameras as published by some of the major camera review sites. The full reviews are available, respectively, at cameralabs.com, dpreview.com, ephotozine.com, imaging-resource.com, and photographyblog.com.

The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. Hence, a score should always be seen in the context of the camera's market launch date and its price, and comparing ratings of very distinct cameras or ones that are far apart in terms of their release date have little meaning. Also, kindly note that some of the listed sites have over time developped their review approaches and their reporting style.

Other comparisons

If you would like to see a different side-by-side camera review, just use the search menu below. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored. If you do not see the camera that you are looking for, kindly get in touch, and I will try to add information on that model to the database.